TITLE 68: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
CHAPTER VII: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATIONSUBCHAPTER b: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
PART 1380
THE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING PRACTICE ACT OF 1989
SECTION 1380.325 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Section 1380.325 Professional
Development

The professional development
required as a condition for license renewal under the Professional Engineering
Act of 1989 is set forth in this Section. All professional engineers shall
meet these requirements.

a) Professional Development Hours Requirements

1) Beginning with the November
30, 2005 renewal and every renewal thereafter, in order to renew a license as
a professional engineer, a licensee shall be required to complete 30
professional development hours (PDH) relevant to the practice of professional
engineering. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in
non-renewal of the professional engineer's license or other disciplinary
action, or both.

2) A prerenewal period is the 24 months preceding
November 30 of each odd-numbered year.

3) One professional development hour shall
equal a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction or participation. If a program is taken that awards continuing
education units (CEU) rather than professional development hours, one CEU
equals 10 professional development hours of class in an approved
continuing education course.

4) A renewal applicant shall not be required
to comply with the professional development requirements for the first renewal
of an Illinois license.

5) Professional engineers licensed in Illinois but residing and practicing in other states shall comply with the professional
development requirements set forth in this Section.

6) Professional development units used to
satisfy the professional development requirements of another jurisdiction may
be applied to fulfill the professional development requirements of the State of
Illinois if they are substantially equivalent.

b) Professional Development Activities shall
include, but not be limited to:

1) Successful completion of a college or
university course in the area of professional engineering, related sciences and
engineering ethics. One semester hour completed shall equal 15 PDHs and one quarter
hour shall equal 10 PDHs;

2) Successful completion of professional
engineering courses or programs inwhich professional development hours
are earned;

3) Active participation and successful
completion of professional engineering programs, seminars, tutorials,
workshops, short courses, on-line or in-house courses. Credit will be given
for self study courses only if an examination has been completed by the
licensee and graded by the sponsor;

4) Attending program presentations at related
technical or professional meetings;

5) Teaching or instructing. Teaching credit
is valid for teaching a course or seminar for the first time only. Two PDHs
will be earned for every hour of teaching. This does not apply to faculty in
the performance of their regularly assigned duties;

6) Authoring papers or articles that appear in
nationally circulated journals or trade magazines or presented to a university,
professional society or organization. 10 PDHs per paper or presentation, but
not both, are allowed for this activity;

7) Receiving a patent within the renewal
period. Ten PDHs may be earned per patent;

8) Active participation on a committee or
holding an office in a professional or technical society. Two PDHs will be
awarded per committee membership or office held. A maximum of 8 PDHs may be
accepted per prerenewal period.

c) All professional development programs,
activities or courses shall:

1) Contribute to the advancement, extension or
enhancement of the professional skills and/or scientific knowledge of the
licensee in practice of professional engineering;

2) Foster the enhancement of general or
specialized practice and values of professional engineering, related sciences
and engineering ethics;

3) Be developed and presented by persons with
education and/or experience in the subject matter of the program.

d) It shall be the responsibility of a
licensee to maintain a record of PDHs for 6 years that includes, but is not
limited to, the following:

1) The name and address of the sponsor or
provider, the number of hours attended in each program, the date and place of
the program and a certificate of attendance; or

2) A log of activities that includes the date
and number of hours claiming as PDHs, a brief statement of the subject matter,
printed program schedules, registration receipts or other proof of
participation; or

3) Transcripts or records of professional
development hours maintained by an acceptable provider as set forth in
subsection (e).

1) National Council of Examiners for
Engineering and Surveying (NCEES);

2) National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE);

3) Illinois Society of Professional Engineers
(ISPE);

4) American Council of Engineering Companies
of Illinois (ACEC-IL);

5) Technical or professional societies or
organizations relating to professional engineering, such as the American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE);

6) Colleges, universities or other educational
institutions;

7) Other technical or professional societies
or organizations including manufacturers.

f) The Division shall not pre-approve
individual courses or programs.

g) Certification of Compliance with CE
Requirements

1) Each renewal applicant shall certify, on
the renewal application, full compliance with the professional development
requirements set forth in this Section.

2) The Division may require additional
evidence demonstrating compliance with the CE requirements as set forth in
subsection (d). This additional evidence shall be required in the context of
the Division's random audit. It is the responsibility of each renewal
applicant to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance.

3) When there appears to be a lack of
compliance with CE requirements, anapplicant shall be notified in
writing and may request an interview with the Board. At that time the Board
may recommend that steps be taken to begin formal disciplinary proceedings as
required by Section 10-65 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act [5 ILCS
100/10-65].

h) Restoration of Nonrenewed License. Upon
satisfactory evidence of compliance with PDH requirements, the Division shall
restore the license upon payment of the required fee as provided in Section
1380.275.

i) Waiver of PDH Requirements

1) Any renewal applicant seeking renewal of a
license without having fully complied with these PDH requirements shall file
with the Division a renewal application along with the required fee set forth
in Section 1380.275, a statement setting forth the facts concerning
non-compliance and request for waiver of the PDH requirements on the basis of
these facts. A request for waiver shall be made prior to the renewal date. If
the Division, upon the written recommendation of the Board, finds from the
affidavit or any other evidence submitted that extreme hardship has been shown
for granting a waiver, the Division shall waive enforcement of PDH requirements
for the renewal period for which the applicant has applied.

2) Extreme hardship shall be determined on an
individual basis by the Board and be defined as an inability to devote
sufficient hours to fulfilling the PDH requirements during the applicable
prerenewal period because of:

A) Full-time service in the armed forces of the
United States of America during a substantial part of the prerenewal period;

B) An incapacitating illness documented by a
statement from a currently licensed physician;

C) A physical inability to travel to the sites
of approved programs documented by a currently licensed physician; or

D) Any other similar extenuating circumstances.

3) Any renewal applicant who, prior to the
expiration date of the license, submits a request for a waiver, in whole or in
part, pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be deemed to be in good
standing until the final decision on the application is made by the Division.